talent, the abdullahs would each be recruited by the country's elite division i colleges to pac 12 washington state. >> how did you get a scholarship? >> the first was prayer and my mother. after i came from high school, i had two years. she said, i'll let you go to high school if you earn a division i championship. >> what he's leaving out is when he left for college, he was only 16. >> reporter: yeah, you could have gotten that up a little higher in the story. you were only 16? >> yes, ma'am. i have one shot to play one year of varsity football, and i have one shot to make it, and due to the grace and mercy of god, we made that happen. >> reporter: on defense, hamza was an electric ifying player. he was awakened by a teammate at 6:00 in the morning. >> my brother was a boxer in the navy at the time, and i thought about if someone is attacking america, if someone is attacking my country, my brother is going to be there. >> reporter: and it must have changed everything for you. how long before people were asking you about your faith, about terrorism, about what you believe? >> i'm sitting in